


Shards of Winter

by swiftishere



Series: MSA AU Bin [6]
Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Gen, Inventor!Arthur (Mystery Skulls Animated), Suspense, Vaguely Olde Times AU (Freeform), if i decide to continue this, mystery but not really, relationship tags MAY change later, theres dukes AND machines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:27:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22799299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swiftishere/pseuds/swiftishere
Summary: It's getting cold, and Lewis isn't looking forward to winter. Oh, the snow isn't a problem, the quiet and blank-white way the whole world gets isn't a problem. No, it's being alone for months. Out here on a rarely-used road, he sees plenty of people stop by in the spring and summer, on their way to one place or another and needing a place to stay the night, but in winter nobody's traveling, and so nobody comes by.He'll get by. He always does. But with visitors so rare...---Vivi and Arthur have places to be, in theory. But who could blame them for stopping? The house was so large and inviting, and their horses were getting tired, and it was dark and getting colder by the second. They just need to stay the night, if the owner of this manor won't mind, and it seems he doesn't.Sure, the place has some... eccentricities. But they're willing to ignore that for one night.
Series: MSA AU Bin [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1942603
Comments: 28
Kudos: 66





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this gets... vaguely creepy at the end? it's not a whole lot but, just some weird behavior. i guess if that's a problem for you you'll know. 
> 
> other than that, i got nothing! i wrote all of this in one sitting and barely edited it and this is what you get. i have a vague idea for continuing it but... eh...?

It's getting cold again, and Lewis is starting to resign himself to another long winter. 

In preparation, he's stocked up on firewood before it all gets damp with snow, and now he just hopes it'll last him until spring. Not that it matters so much if he can keep a fire built up, but it's the little comforts. Crackling fires can cast warm light on the otherwise dark, frigid halls of his home, bringing a little life to the place, and when everything else is cold and dead, it's almost necessary to keep his spirits up.

But he's lasted through many winters like this one, he's not worried about that. He'll survive. Like always. It's just... 

It's so quiet here. Visitors all but dry up in the coldest part of the year, when everyone is huddled safe at home with their families and not out traveling the countryside. His home is large, but it's so _empty_. It gets difficult after a while, finding things to busy himself with, and winter is always the worst part of the year for things to do. He's already starting to miss having any company. The visitors are brief but they're _something_. 

And he's hungry. That's less vital, it won't be _urgent_ for a long while, but it's an ever-present nagging thing in the back of his mind. Always hungry, hungry, hungry. Just another thing he has to put up with even more of during the winter. 

More of the same thoughts drift through his head as he paces the halls and rooms of his manor. How long has it been since he properly ate? A while, if he's starting to feel the effects of it. For a brief moment he stops in one room, in front of a covered mirror, and his hand brushes the cloth over it. Are his eyes going dark again? Is his skin fading from its former bright color to something grayer? 

Eventually, though, he lets the cloth drop. That line of thought never leads him anywhere good. 

Instead he turns his attention back to the room he's in, on the off-chance there's something here he can use to keep himself busy. Maybe it needs dusting, or there's something he needs to move to another room...

...but he's spent so much time in this part of the house already, there's nothing. It's perfectly clean and completely lifeless. There's not even flowers to brighten the place up; even if he did bother with keeping them, they'd be dead by now. Even his little garden is freezing over. 

And then an odd sound echoes through the dead quiet of the room, prompting him to look up and out the window. There's movement on the ground far below, something dark rolling up to the front of the house.

It's... a carriage. His heart jumps. It's a carriage! Someone's _here_! 

_Two_ people, he realizes, eagerly watching them dismount – two, maybe one more? From this distance, he can't make out much more than colors, but there's a blue, an orange, and... is that a faint spot of red and white? He wonders who they'll be. Perhaps a honeymooning couple? Or a young family heading to visit relatives? Businessmen with important things to get to? Or just friends who picked a bad time for a trip? He hopes he'll get to ask them tonight; he does _so_ love hearing the stories of people who stop by. 

Now they're ascending the steps up to his home, and he dashes out of the room and downstairs. 

He's almost to the door when he realizes that he should probably grab a coat, for fear of looking too comfortable in the chilly air, and tries to race to the coat-closet and back before they knock. He's not quite fast enough. When the knock comes he's still slipping it onto his shoulders, and tosses a reassuring "coming!" over his shoulder. 

He forces himself to walk more slowly to the door, trying to compose himself before he has to properly greet his guests. ( _Guests_!) When he opens the door, he (at least, he hopes) looks nothing more than mildly surprised at the interruption. 

Now that he can properly see them, he takes a moment to study the strangers. 

The one he'd seen as blue from above is a tallish young woman in a long, thick dark blue coat, with a lighter blue scarf, matching bright hair and a sunny smile. She's already carrying a bag, likely filled with the valuable things she didn't want to leave in the carriage. Her gloved hands are clasped in front of her and her almost excited expression warms him. 

The other is a man who looks around the same age, in a shorter but just as warm-looking jacket and a hat that flattens his spiky orange hair. His hands are folded into his armpits to protect them against the cold, and his expression is in stark contrast to his partner's, sharp amber eyes surveying him with... he can't even tell. It's a little unnerving how he seems to analyze him, giving the chilling sensation that he sees right through him. Which is, of course, absurd. 

In between them stands... ah, drat. A small white-and-red dog. He used to like animals, but now pets are just such a _nuisance_.

He remembers to force a soft smile onto his face. "Can I help you?" 

"Yes, well, it's getting dark- sooner than we'd expected, and," the woman's voice is just as bright as her smile, "it's just gotten awfully cold out, and we were wondering if we could perhaps impose on you for a little shelter? It'll just be for the night." 

"Of course! No trouble at all. Come right on in. I have a small stable where we can put your horses, if you'd like." He stands back and gestures for them to come inside. 

"Thank you _so_ much! That'd be wonderful." She gives him another grateful grin as she steps inside. "And oh- don't mind Mystery, he's well trained, I promise. You won't even know he's here!" 

The dog in question wags its tail as if in affirmation, but still gives him a stare as it passes. 

"You can put your coats over there," he waves a hand at the closet. 

"Thanks, but," the woman folds a protective hand over the lapels of her coat, "I think I'll keep mine on. It's kind of chilly in here, no offense." 

"Ah-!" He starts, and then makes a show of smacking his forehead. "I'm sorry about that. I should build a fire, shouldn't I?" He keeps walking, giving them another smile. "Come this way, then! There's a large enough fireplace in the parlor, and once I get a fire going there, the whole place will be warm and cozy in no time." 

"You didn't have a fire going already?" the woman chirps questioningly, giving him a startlingly sharp stare. "It's freezing out!" 

"I, ah... I'm a fan of coats." The answer is a joke, but her laughing gives him time to think of an actual answer. "No, it's difficult to gather firewood in the winter, and I don't like to use it if I don't need to." Which isn't technically false. 

They enter the parlor, and without a fire to light the room up, it's a rather depressing-looking place. It's almost faded, so dark you can hardly see the colors. Lewis makes his way over to the fireplace on the far wall, which he at least had the foresight to leave some wood near, and busies himself lighting it. He's relieved to see that his guests don't need a cue to make themselves comfortable on the couch. 

Once he's satisfied the fire is properly built, he stands, dusts off his hands, and turns back to the other two. 

"Well, why don't you warm yourselves up and I'll go put your horses away?" 

"If you really don't mind, that'd be great!" 

As he leaves, the woman sighs and leans back, casting a look to her companion. "Shit, we probably should've grabbed our stuff out of the carriage, huh? I got some of it, but all our clothes and stuff..." He doesn't respond, and after a moment she shrugs. "Eh, we can get it later. I don't want to go back out there right now." 

* * *

"Thanks!" the woman chirps as he sets a bowl of soup down in front of her. "But you really didn't have to do this..." 

"I wanted to," he answers simply, smiling back. "It's been a while since I've gotten to cook for anyone. You'll tell me how it tastes?" 

She nods, already digging into her food – she must have been hungry. Her eyes light up almost immediately. "Mm- this is _really_ good!"

Lewis laughs lightly. "Oh, good. I'm glad I haven't lost my touch!" 

Another nod, and with a glance up at her oddly silent companion, she adds, "you have _got_ to try this, it's delicious. Definitely the best thing I've eaten in weeks." 

The man starts, giving Leis the funny impression he'd almost forgotten they could see him, and then quickly turns his attention down to the bowl. Lewis turns his attention to him in turn, watching expectantly. He sees him adopt the same happily surprised expression that the woman's had. 

"So?" he prompts. 

"It's-" he starts, and then remembers to swallow, covering his mouth. "S-sorry- it's- she's r- she's right, it's really good." 

His voice surprises him. It's quiet, which he was expecting, but he wasn't expecting the almost raspy quality it has. Perhaps he's sick? It is the right time of year for it. 

He doesn't say anything more, but his eyes and the way he digs right back in after giving the brief compliment speak volumes. Satisfied that everyone's happy, Lewis starts eating his own food. 

It's ash in his mouth, but he doesn't want to look suspicious. 

* * *

Eventually he gauges that everyone's eaten their fill, or near enough, and decides it's safe to stop. To avoid drawing any suspicion to his sudden lack of appetite, and just because he's curious, he decides to start asking some of the questions he has for the pair. 

"So," he begins, setting down his silverware, "I know your dog's name, but not either of yours."

"Oh! Gosh, that- totally slipped my mind, I'm sorry!" 

He waves a hand. "Oh, don't worry. I forgot as well, to tell the truth. You'll just have to tell me now." 

"Right. Well," she taps her chest, I'm Vivi," and then nods at her companion, "and this is Arthur! I... guess you already know Mystery's name." 

"It's very nice to meet both- or, ah, all of you?" He looks between the two with a smile. "My name is Lewis. So... what brings you out here at this time of year? Most people are done traveling for the season." 

"Oh, yeah, it's not great weather for it, but see, we-" and then she stops abruptly and glances over at Arthur. "Sorry, did you want to explain?" 

But Arthur shakes his head with a dismissive wave at her. Vivi nods, and then turns her gaze back to Lewis. "So, Arthur's an inventor, and he got this offer from the duke of Arrowgrave to show off some of his stuff – some, yknow, little household gadgets. You'd have to ask him for the specifics," she laughs lightly, "I can't remember any of that stuff. It's really cool because if the guy's impressed, it could mean a lot of money for him! But anyway, so obviously he has to _be_ there to show him, so he's heading over there for that!" 

"I see! And you came along because...?" 

"Oh, uh," she looks away, waving a hand, "I'm just being a supportive friend-" 

"She thinks th-there's a ghost in Arrowgrave," Arthur interrupts her. 

Vivi laughs, ducking her head. "Well, yeah, also that, kind of. But mostly just what _I_ said." 

"Are you... interested in that sort of thing? Ghosts?" Lewis can't help but ask. The idea that she's anywhere near interested in the paranormal worries him a little. Of course the actual odds of her suspecting anything are slim to none, but...

"Not a ghost!" Vivi corrects him with a joking sharpness. "It's- I don't know what it is! Some kind of spirit, hard to know when all you hear is rumors. But, uh... yeah. I think they're neat." 

"That's... interesting." He fiddles with his spoon. "Well! If you're both done, I... you must be tired, I'll show you to some rooms and then get everything cleaned up?" 

"Oh-" Vivi starts. 

Arthur cuts her off, prompting a start from both of them. "That sounds great."

* * *

"So... what do you think is wrong with this place?" 

"Hm? Uh- _wrong_?" 

"Oh, come on, I know you've noticed it. Even _Mystery_ noticed it! There's something _off_ about that guy. And this house... it's so big and well maintained, but he's the only one here. And... you know... there are some undeniably suspicious things around here." Vivi waves an explanatory hand at the previously-covered mirror. "I just _know_ something's up. Surely you've been getting some... _vibes_ from him, at least?" 

"No, I..." Arthur followed her hand to the mirror. "I don't f-feel anything fr- from him." 

"Nothing out of the ordinary? At _all_?" 

"That's not- no, th-that's not what I said." Arthur shook his head. "I mean I don't feel... _anything_ , at all. It's like... like if I couldn't see him, I wouldn't know he _exists_." 

"Huh. That's... even weirder!" Vivi perks up, getting more excited by the second. "So there's _definitely_ something up here. I have to find out what it is!" 

"Hang on-" Arthur draws his attention back to her, holding up his hands in protest. "Are you s-sure that's a good idea? M-maybe we sh-sh-should just... leave it alone? Get out of h-here tomorrow morning? When we s- _said_ we would?" 

She frowns at him, folding her arms. "You're never any fun. I came out here in the first place to investigate stuff like this!" 

"I just- I just think we sh-shouldn't bother him is all! What if it's nothing and he's j-just a guy? Then we'll _both_ look like assholes f-for _nothing_." 

"Maybe you can head off and I'll stay behind and then you can pick me up on your way back." 

"Well I'm- I'm not doing th- _that_!" Arthur half-shouts, standing up. "S-sure as hell not gonna _leave you here_!" 

"Well I guess we're at an impasse then." 

Arthur scowls at her, but sits back down. "Vi... y'know, I love you, but I- I think sometimes you j-just don't know when to leave stuff alone." 

Unfazed by the comment, Vivi just smiles back at him. "And yet you're still here!" 

He just shakes his head, looking down to hide his smile. "Not for long!"

"Oh no!" 

"Yeah, I'm fucking tired and th-that bed looked comfy as hell." 

They're both laughing when he leaves, ducking a little to dodge the playful pillow-swipe. 

* * *

Lewis watches the door close behind his guest, and then lets a careful moment pass. When he's judged enough time has gone by, he approaches and quietly knocks. 

"Y- yeah?" comes Arthur's voice from the other side. 

"May I come in?" he asks. "I just want to make sure everything's alright. Some of the rooms are a little messy." That's a lie; everything in his manor is kept perfectly clean. 

"Uh... sure. It's not locked or anything." 

Lewis takes the invitation to enter. The room is just as he'd left it, mostly taken up by a nice four-poster bed, with a nightstand on the right side of it, a trashcan on the other, and a dresser on the opposite wall. He can't even remember now what used to be in this room, which probably means it wasn't anything important. Whatever it might have been, it's cleared out now. 

He turns his attention back to Arthur, who seems to have been going through a bag that's open on the chair on the far wall. He recognizes it as the bag Vivi had brought in with her, but doesn't pause to reflect on that, instead looking to Arthur. "Are you finding everything alright?" 

"Oh, it's great. I th-think. Haven't got- gotten around t-to trying the bed yet." He inclines his head to the bed in question, which Lewis is fairly sure is still comfortable. He doesn't have much occasion to go around testing beds. "Actually... you don't have any sp- any spare pajamas, do you? It's j-just, uh, it's- I'm st-still in my traveling clothes, and... th-they're not super comfy." 

He's being downright talkative now, and Lewis is surprised at how happy he is about that. Maybe it's just that he didn't know how to read him before, and it's a relief to see him be properly expressive. "Oh! Uh- yes, I think there are some in that dresser, actually." He's closer to it, so he checks himself, and finds that there are indeed some clean, pajama-looking clothes neatly folded in one of the drawers. "These should fit you fine, I think." 

Arthur takes them and only briefly checks them over before looking back up to him. 

"Well!" Lewis stands back up, giving him a direct stare. "I suppose you're all set, then." 

"Did you... want something else?" Arthur's giving him that searching look again, armful of clothes folded over his chest almost protectively. It's almost funny, Lewis reflects as he watches him take a step back, he's no idea what he's about to do and still Arthur is already nervous. 

Lewis moves forward as he moves back, until he's close enough to take his shoulders in his hands. He returns Arthur's stare with a soft smile of his own. The gesture seems to relax him; at least, some of the tension goes out of his shoulders. "Arthur..." 

And then he drew slightly closer to him, so he was almost speaking into his ear. 

"I'm going to bite you now." 

"W- _what_?" Arthur hissed, more quietly than he was expecting. 

"I'm sorry- I know, but I have to. And then when I'm done," Lewis continues, "I'll wipe your memory of the whole ordeal." 

"Wh- no- _why_?" Arthur's all but locked up, he can tell, and his voice is still such a hushed whisper. " _What are you_ -"

Lewis draws a little closer to him, hoping to keep him quiet. "I am a vampire. This is how I feed." He feels his breath hitch again, and adds as an attempt at comfort, "You'll hardly notice it, I promise, and in the morning you won't remember a thing. And then you'll be on your merry way with Vivi, and you'll never remember what happened." His head dips down almost to Arthur's neck, and then he adds at a whisper, "shouting won't do you any good, you know, so don't bother. What is Vivi going to do? She's just going to see me, and then I'll have to silence _both_ of you. I know neither of us want that."

And then he bows his head to Arthur's neck, lets his fangs slip out, and bites down. 

Some vampires are messy with their meals, using their fangs to rip at the flesh and letting the food bleed out when they're done. Lewis isn't nearly so crass. He must wait for his food, not go out and hunt people down for it, and so he's learned to be conservative when he eats. His fangs slip into the blood vessel and he drinks carefully, focusing on leaving as small an incision as possible. Arthur stays remarkably silent throughout the whole thing, the only sound his short, panting breaths. 

When he's full, he carefully slides his fangs out, sheathes them, and then quickly presses his lips against the puncture wounds. A vampire's saliva is a natural coagulant, and this way Arthur will be healed up in no time, with no sign he ever drank from him at all. 

"There, see?" he says when he finally lifts his mouth. "You're okay. Now I suppose you'd like to lay down, hmm?" 

Arthur doesn't give any response, but Lewis can feel him wavering slightly. With a sigh he kneels and in one smooth motion lifts him up in his arms so he can carry him to the bed. 

He's so quiet, Lewis really isn't worried about him yelling for Vivi anymore. So he allows himself to spend a moment sitting with him in his lap, one of the incredibly rare times he gets to be this close to a person. 

"I really am sorry," he murmurs, starting to gently card his fingers through his hair. "I try to be as gentle as possible, but still, I have to eat to survive. And like this... I know it must seem like I'm luring people in to eat, but what else can I do?" Lewis closes his eyes and allows some measure of bitterness to creep into his normally well-controlled voice. "If I keep anyone any closer, I'm just betraying their trust over and over. And when they eventually find out, they're gone. If they don't try to kill me, that is. And if I try to be honest about what I am? I'm practically begging for them to call in a monster hunter on me." 

"That's... not true." 

Lewis opens his eyes in surprise. Arthur's still looking up at him, truly afraid, but... he'd still said... that. 

"Arthur," he lets a soft smile creep onto his face, "you have no idea. I'm just being honest. It evens out anyway, doesn't it? I try to make it that way at least, feed my guests and give them a warm place to stay and... don't let them remember anything." He sighs, and the smile drops from his face, and he stops petting his hair. "Speaking of... I really didn't mean to say all that. I just can't be trusted, when I see an opportunity to speak."

He lifts him up and shifts them both so Arthur's back is to the headboard of the bed. He takes his face in his hands, and the world turns red again as he channels the innate psychic powers of vampires. 

" _Sleep_ ," is the first thing he murmurs, and Arthur does. He lets him fall back onto the pillows, and then carefully he stands. When he's sure he's fully asleep, he takes the covers and drapes them over him. And then he presses a hand to his chest, feeling the now-gentle rise and fall of his breathing, and half-whispers his second command. 

" _Forget_." 


	2. Snowfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How _unfortunate_ that his guests won't be moving on today. But, well, he simply couldn't let them go out in this weather, could he? It'd be irresponsible of him, wouldn't it? 
> 
> And besides, they also don't seem to be in too much of a hurry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i continue to struggle with writing app to ao3 translation and the shit it does to my text formatting. blame all weirdness on that. i miss paragraph indents

It was snowing when everyone woke up the next day.

The sky was grey and cloudy enough that it didn't make Lewis's skin itch to leave the windows open, which he was relieved about. Regardless of the danger, he still loved having natural light fill the house; it brought the rooms to life. And it made people feel more relaxed, too, when the house wasn’t kept so dark during the day.

Speaking of people. His guests hadn’t been able to leave after all, the deep snow preventing them from even getting to their carriage without some work. He wished he could say he was upset about that. Normally, he hated having people in the house for too long after he'd used them for food; the love of having company started to get outweighed by the persistent guilt after a while. But so far, he really didn't mind these guests sticking around.

Maybe it was just because Arthur showed no sign of even being bothered by the feeding. Most people remarked on feeling tired, _drained_ the morning after, that their shoulders were sore and they simply "hadn't slept well" – but if Arthur noticed anything, he didn't show it. When he came downstairs that morning he'd actually remarked that it was "the best he'd slept in a while."

Just another odd thing about him. He found himself drawing his tongue over his hidden fangs, recalling the taste – the _sensation_ , really – that had been left in his mouth after last night's feeding. It had taken him a while to place it, but it was the taste of some wild magic. It's been a long time since he's seen anything with that sort of power in its veins.

Ordinarily he'd be wary of letting something like _that_ roam his house, but he... didn't seem all that interested in roaming in the first place. It was nearing midday now, and almost since he woke up he'd been busy near the fireplace. The snow had gotten into some of his bags, or so he'd said, and he needed to make sure nothing had been damaged, and dry out anything that had gotten wet. Now he was disassembling _everything_ he'd brought with him, which seemed like an awful lot of fiddly work. Lewis had the shadows watching to make sure he didn't move, of course, but he wasn't too concerned about it.

* * *

It's a bit after the normal lunchtime – at least, when he recalls the normal lunchtime being – and the house is quiet once again. There's a certain peace, though, that wasn't there before; the feeling of having the windows open and other living things roaming the halls. He's left his guests to their own devices at this point, telling them that they're free to do whatever they like so long as they stay out of locked rooms – they'd all laughed at that at the time, because _who would do that_ , break the locks in a stranger's house, even he had said it half joking.

Only half joking, though.

On this idle walk around the first floor, he notices that the door to the library is open, which it _definitely_ wasn't before. Does one of his guests have an interest in reading? He _would_ be happy if that was the case, if he had someone to chat about his books with-

-he heads inside, to find Vivi standing at a table off to one side of the room, with a book in her hands, staring down at it with what seems like simple idle curiosity. The book she's holding, though- it's not that it's something she shouldn't see, he wouldn't leave it out if it were, but...

"Ah- what are you doing?" he asks, drawing closer.

"This place is so big," Vivi said instead of answering, not looking up. "You take care of it all by yourself?"

"Yes, well-" Lewis tried to reach for the book she was holding, but she turned away seemingly by accident- "I... don't get out much, so I have a lot of spare time."

“Why is that?”

“Why- what?”

“Why don’t you get out much?” She finally turns to look at him, and her expression startles him a little – it’s so focused and searching, bright blue eyes trained intently on his face.

He’s had to answer her question before, plenty of times. “It’s... there isn’t much out there for me. And I have a lot to do here, tending to my garden and keeping the house in good condition.”

"Why not?" Instead of dropping the subject, Vivi leans forward, setting the book down on the table beside her. "Do you just stay holed up in here all the time? What about food?"

Lewis can't help but take a step back, looking away from her uncomfortably intense gaze. "It's... ah," he falters, "I... suppose you're not _entirely_ wrong. Food... I have my garden, and... sometimes I hunt. It's enough for me and whoever else stops by. So... yes, most of the time I just stay in here. There's really not much more to it." He's half tempted to add an _I swear_ to the end of the sentence, just hoping to get her to _drop it_.

Vivi follows his head as he turns away, keeping herself in the corner of his eye. "How long have you been here for?"

"I couldn't tell you." He sounds more confident answering that question. Or at least, he thinks he does.

"Give me a ballpark." She puts her elbows up on the table and rests her chin in her hands.

"I- I- you're awfully intent focused on _my_ life!" He settles on deflecting, wincing internally at how rude he must sound. "What if I asked _you_ some personal questions?"

She leans back on that, putting her hands back down. "Okay, okay, no more questions." And then she tilts her head, blinking. "Unless you _want_ to ask me something..."

"Well, now that you mention it-" Thank _goodness_ , it worked. That searching fire was gone from her eyes, replaced with something much more calm and casual. "You told me you're going to Arrowgrave... where are you coming from?"

"Oh, it's this little place called Wilswood! It's _beautiful_ , you'd probably love it, you like flowers- I mean, I _think_ you like flowers, there's a lot of flowers- and it's always _covered_ in plants no matter what time of year it is- like right now, the trees all lost their leaves but there's still stuff blooming on vines, so it's still all full of color plus we have a _library_ which is so lucky, right? I probably spend more time there than at my house, hah. It looks really tiny from the outside but you'd be _real_ surprised how many books Duet manages to jam into that place! And they still leave room for little reading nooks!"

"It sounds... pretty special. I'd say I'd visit but from the sound of it, I don't think I'd ever leave if I did!" Lewis laughed, and it got a chuckle out of Vivi as well.

"Okay, your turn," and _oh_ , he hadn't realized they were playing _that_ game. "Where are _you_ from? I assume you weren't just magically conjured by this mansion."

"Ah." He hesitates, torn between his usual lie and... the truth, somehow. He finds he doesn't _want_ to lie to Vivi. Eventually, he settles on a compromise. "It's... a town a bit west of here. Pretty quiet place, but it was nice. Lots of flowers, though not _quite_ as much as it sounds like you have... I think that must be why I like them so much."

"You said 'was'?"

Shit- how hadn't he _noticed_ that slip of the tongue? ' _Is, sorry, I just haven't been there in a while_ -' is what he _intends_ to say, but instead what comes out is, "it's... not quite so lively anymore." The misstep makes the breath catch in his throat, and he scrambles to distract from it – "that's two for you and only one for me, by the way. Do you travel like this often?"

"Oh- more or less," Vivi waved a hand noncommittally, thankfully not prodding any more, "I mean not _super_ often but you've got to get out once in a while, right? Er- at least, I do. Wilswood is nice but I... get kinda stir crazy if I stay all cooped up."

"Is it always... for work?"

"Hmm? Oh- no. Arthur actually stays home most of the time, he's not... _quite_ as fond of traveling as I am, heh. No, I can usually find work wherever I end up - investigating rumors or just- chopping firewood, stuff like that- but it's incidental, you know? I'm just wandering."

"Investigating rumors?" He huffs lightly. "Are you a detective?"

Vivi laughs at that, but doesn't actually answer, saying, "ah- no, you got two in a row, it's _definitely_ my turn now! So where'd you get this house?"

At least it isn't another question about Vinmiers. "It was... a gift. I did a favor for someone... ah, with some power, and in return, they gave me this. I just have to be mindful to keep it in good condition." Once _again_ , he finds himself saying more than he plans to. It's just very easy, he supposes.

"...Huh. Well, this has been fun, but unless you have any more questions," she held the book up, "I'd like to go read this somewhere more comfortable."

"Oh! Ah- yes, of course, don't let me keep you."

She gave a cursory nod, and started towards the door. She only made it maybe halfway there before Lewis called out.

"One more question?"

"Hmm?" Obligingly, she turned back around.

"Arthur. He... isn't... _entirely_ human, is he?"

"Oh." She sighs, looking away, and almost leans back in midair. "Uh. Not... I guess you already figured it out, huh? Yeah, not- not _exactly_." She looked back up. "What gave it away?"

_I can still taste the magic flowing through his veins. Bit hard to miss, that._ "Just sort of... a lot of little things. I had my suspicions, but wasn't entirely sure. What is he, exactly?"

"Yeah. Well..." she looks down and away again, frowning slightly. "Maybe... you should ask him that yourself. If- if you _really_ want to." Her gaze landed on the floor in front of Lewis, and she bit her lip as she continued. "It's nothing _important_. I mean- he isn't going to hurt you, okay? And we'll be out of your hair soon enough, it... it's really not worth bothering with, if you ask me."

"It isn't anything... _bad_ , is it?" Things couldn't get much worse than _vampire_ , and if he was a werewolf or demon or anything like that Lewis would _definitely_ know, but it never hurt to be certain.

"No! No, it really isn't... uh... hurt... ful. To anyone that's not him, anyway." She added the last sentence under her breath, quiet enough that Lewis wouldn't have caught it, were it not for his supernatural hearing.

"Well, I... suppose I'll take your word for it, then." He eventually makes the decision not to press the issue. Vivi was probably trustworthy, from what he could tell, and she wouldn't be traveling around with some sort of aggressive monster. Or, probably not, anyway.

* * *

He knocks softly on a door, and it unlocks at his touch. The stairwell isn't steep, and he can see perfectly, but he still keeps one hand on the wall as he descends.

The basement is colder than the rest of the house. Of course it is, with the stone walls and then the surrounding dirt leeching any heat away. Soon the rest of the house will be following suit, save for the small areas that the fires he's lit keep warm, as night and probably snow descend once again. He runs through a mental checklist – the curtains are all drawn, fires in his guests' rooms lit and stacked up high enough to keep burning throughout the night, he's long since cleaned up any traces of melted snow and dirt that his guests had tracked in. By the time he reaches the bottom of the stairs, he's satisfied that there's nothing else that needs doing.

There isn't much down here, which is half the reason he keeps it locked during the day – a room like this tends to invite questions. The only notable features, really, are the carving in the wall that he still has to avert his eyes from or his head will start to spin, and the box.

The box is large, seven by three by three feet, made of plain paneled wood, and it sits in the center of the room. Honestly, he'd prefer it be moved off to the side, but he didn't really get a choice where it was put originally, and he isn't strong enough to move it now. It's little more than a minor annoyance at this point, but it still occurs to him every time he sees it.

His hand rests on the lid for a moment, but in the end he decides against it. Instead, he slides down to sit cross-legged on the floor, his back to the wood. This isn't his usual sleeping position, but this isn't where he usually sleeps. Something about today just made him nostalgic, called him down here.

He rests that way for the rest of the night.


End file.
